Camp Scholler Tips

Been pondering the question of "Scholler tips" and have the following:
  • Before arriving, set your tent up at home. Make sure you have everything you need to set it up, including stakes and something to hammer with.
  • Bring extra tent stakes. You might need them, but really they’re for setting the 4 corners of your site so nobody drops a tent in your parking spot while you’re out.
  • Pack in reverse order you’ll need things. Your tent goes in just about last.
  • A good cooler can still be improved by making a "cooler koozie" out of duct insulation.

Storms:
  • Consider setting your tent up a couple of weeks in advance and just before a storm to test the water tightness. Reapply water proofing if needed.
  • When setting your tent up, face the door south or east, it’s the weakest part. There WILL be a giant thunderstorm and the prevailing winds are from the west and north.
  • If you have a sunshade, take it down in advance of a storm. You can get away with not taking it down if you have a professional steel frame shelter, 1” rebar stakes hammered deep and ratchet straps holding it all down. Your little aluminum frame pop up will not survive.
  • Bring an emergency set of spare clothing in a zip lock bag and stored in your vehicle.
  • If everything fails and your tent becomes a bathtub, there is a laundromat near Friar Tucks - out the gate, turn right, shopping center on the corner. They take credit cards.
  • Low / short tents are not as nice to live in, but they are much nicer in a storm.
  • Make sure you're not camped in a drainage ditch.
Anyone have additional thoughts?
 
bflynn said:
  • If everything fails and your tent becomes a bathtub, there is a laundromat near Friar Tucks - out the gate, turn right, shopping center on the corner. They take credit cards.
Anyone have additional thoughts?
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With a wash and fold service which is about the best thing since sliced bread.
 
Being warm reminds me - I weirdly discovered that when the sun comes up (at 5:30) the east side of the tent gets very warm from the sun. But that can be blocked by anything solid, say luggage or an extra pillow. The extra few hours of sleep are nice.

Earplugs and a sleeping mask.
 
bflynn said:
Being warm reminds me - I weirdly discovered that when the sun comes up (at 5:30) the east side of the tent gets very warm from the sun. But that can be blocked by anything solid, say luggage or an extra pillow. The extra few hours of sleep are nice.
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Shading the east side is very helpful - Many of the overhead canopies have available side shields you can use for this purpose. I also had very good results from buying a battery-powered fan with a DC In jack with a 12V adapter and plugging that into a fold-up solar panel facing east. When it was cool to cold at night, no fan... As soon as the sun came up in the morning, the fan would kick on.
 
bflynn said:
Being warm reminds me - I weirdly discovered that when the sun comes up (at 5:30) the east side of the tent gets very warm from the sun. But that can be blocked by anything solid, say luggage or an extra pillow. The extra few hours of sleep are nice.

Earplugs and a sleeping mask.
Click to expand...

I know this is a Scholler thread, but for airplane campers, and I guess people with cars in their campsite at Scholler, the vehicle can provide morning shade as well if you plan right. Good tip.
 
bflynn said:
  • Before arriving, set your tent up at home. Make sure you have everything you need to set it up, including stakes and something to hammer with.
  • Bring extra tent stakes. You might need them, but really they’re for setting the 4 corners of your site so nobody drops a tent in your parking spot while you’re out.
Click to expand...
Don't use the little stakes that come with most tents. It's worth the investment to get longer, better holding stakes. I highly recommend ones that screw into the ground. It doesn't matter if you're in Camp Scholler or the N40, good tent stakes will help you survive a storm.
 
Good suggestion, I’ll add it to the list.

Has anyone used screw in tent stakes? The best I’ve found look like very large nails with a plastic hook.
 
bflynn said:
Good suggestion, I’ll add it to the list.

Has anyone used screw in tent stakes? The best I’ve found look like very large nails with a plastic hook.
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I've used both of these this past year and during the bad storms in 2021:

AmazonSmile : Canopy Stakes Canopy Anchors Beach Tent Stakes Heavy Duty Screw Shape 25 cm 10 inch - 8 Pack Orange Tent Stake for Outdoor Hiking Camping : Sports & Outdoors

AmazonSmile : Orange Screw: The Ultimate Ground Anchor | Small 4 Pack Tent Stakes | Made in USA (Black) : Sports & Outdoors
 
I've never had more than the aluminum stakes that come with my tents, mine have weathered many ferocious storms, most without admitting so much as a drop of water. My vacation time is valuable and the trip otherwise quite inexpensive, I don't cheap out on tents.
 
Probably. A little chat with Hilton to get the gate code would be in order. Or maybe Weeks would work too as they are the next apron east.
 
Terry M - 3CK (Chicago) said:
can you get to the Hangar Bar & Grill on a non-Airventure day via taxiways? Park at the Hilton and cut through?
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We went to the Hangar Bar & Grill on our non-Airventure COVID year trip stopping on the way home from Mackinac Island. Just stop at the FBO and take the crew car down.
 
Does anyone have experience with coming in early on Thursday morning? Was going to try planning on that this year and hoping to get a spot in Scholler. Going to have a 28’ pull behind. Thought about flying in, but the wife would rather have a couple of extra amenities. I’ve camped there before but it’s been awhile and didn’t pay much attention to the availability of spots because I was there earlier in the week.

We also thought about bringing a golf cart to ride to the gates and back too and just lock up. Good idea or too big of a hassle?
 
ChopAndDrop said:
Worried about getting TXT message capability to stay in-touch with my family incase we get seperated, etc.

what's been your experience?
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When i travel with family, I ask them to join life 360, an app that tracks location. The free version is enough to locate others in your group.
 
Justin M said:
When i travel with family, I ask them to join life 360, an app that tracks location. The free version is enough to locate others in your group.
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Google Maps has the ability to share location with people for a configurable amount of time. I have my wife, my son and my phones all set to share location indefinitely.
 
Skymac said:
Does anyone have experience with coming in early on Thursday morning? Was going to try planning on that this year and hoping to get a spot in Scholler. Going to have a 28’ pull behind. Thought about flying in, but the wife would rather have a couple of extra amenities. I’ve camped there before but it’s been awhile and didn’t pay much attention to the availability of spots because I was there earlier in the week.

We also thought about bringing a golf cart to ride to the gates and back too and just lock up. Good idea or too big of a hassle?
Click to expand...

The North 40 begins to turn over on Wednesday and accelerates into Thurs/Fri. I would guess Scholler would experience the same thing.
 
Skymac said:
Does anyone have experience with coming in early on Thursday morning? Was going to try planning on that this year and hoping to get a spot in Scholler. Going to have a 28’ pull behind. Thought about flying in, but the wife would rather have a couple of extra amenities. I’ve camped there before but it’s been awhile and didn’t pay much attention to the availability of spots because I was there earlier in the week.

We also thought about bringing a golf cart to ride to the gates and back too and just lock up. Good idea or too big of a hassle?
Click to expand...
A large number of campers stay for the Wednesday night airshow and then get out Thursday morning. Checkout is noon, so getting there real early just means less available spots. I'd shoot for 10-11.

Parking at the gates is bad and getting worse, and idiots are starting to deliberately walk in front of vehicles just to slow them down. Bicycles are better.
 
ChopAndDrop said:
Worried about getting TXT message capability to stay in-touch with my family incase we get seperated, etc.
Click to expand...

Update on this to answer my own question: at 2022 noticed there was good cell-phone coverage, even got cellular data just fine (we're on AT&T).
I coordinated with another person using "find my " location sharing via Apple iCloud and we were able to find each other.

This year for family, I got one of my older kids an Apple Watch SE with Cellular, on "Family Setup" so it works independently of any iPhone (the kid has only the watch). Can call / Txt back and forth, and see location on "find my iPhone" etc.
(this kid is old enough to walk around on their own but not old enough to have their own iPhone).

For younger kids just put an Airtag on them, that's what we do at large parks/events etc, works great.
 
The cell and data go to **** around Wednesday each year and by and large becomes unusable on the field for a. few days. SMS usually muddles through.
Oddly enough, getting just up the road in town gets good 5G service again.
 
Too many people on the cells in range
 
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